Play-pipe pressure-equalizer.



P. P. GLAZIER. PLAY PIPE PRESSURE EQUALIZER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1909.

Patented Aug". 23, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER F. GLAZIER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

PLAY-PIPE PRESSURE-EQUALIZER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER F. GLAZIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Play-Pipe Pressure-Equalizers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hose nozzles which will be principally used by firemen in extinguishing fires.

In the use of nozzles as ordinarily constructed at the present time, the back pressure of the water, and the unequal lateral pressure causes the nozzle to be moved violently in unexpected directions with every variation in pressure and change in the direction of the nozzle, so as to require several men to hold and control a nozzle throwing a large stream, under heavy pressure such as is required for effective work in firefighting, and endangering the safety of the men because of the violent and eccentric movements of the nozzle.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and eflicient means for equalizing the pressure whereby a single attendant will be able to direct the play of the nozzle without any personal danger, and whereby the back pressure will be practically eliminated without appreciably reducing the throw or reach of the stream of water delivered through the nozzle.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive device which may be applied to the nozzles and play-pipes of fire-fighting apparatus already in use.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal central section of the nozzle of a play-pipe equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a like sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. The arrows indicate the direction of view in each of the two transverse sections. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central section of a playpipe nozzle of ordinary construction equipped with a modified form of my invention, and Fig. 5 illustrates a means for regulating the size of the water-openings through the partition-plate of my device.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 30,1909.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910. Serial No. 535,632.

v Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, 6 represents a metal sleeve to which the flexible hose (not shown) of usual construction, is attached, and 7 is a nozzle having handles 8 for convenient manipulation. This nozzle 7 is ordinarily screwed upon the threads on the outer end of sleeve 6, but in applying my invention I prefer to separate the parts 6 and 7 at their screw joint and to introduce between them a hollow and partly spherical member having appropriately threaded in let and outlet extensions 9 and 10 to connect with the sleeve 6 on one side and nozzle 7 on the other. The hollow spherical member is in two transversely divided parts 11 and 12 which are united by means of a screwthreaded oint 13. A shoulderis formed in the member 11 at this joint to arrest the member 12, and between these parts, and held by them, is a partition-plate 1 1. This plate 14 would completely shut off the flow of water through the play-pipe were it not for a series of transverse holes or openings 15. The combined area of the holes 15 should be at least equal to, and preferably somewhat exceed the area at the discharge end of the nozzle-tip at 16. Leakage at the joint 13 is prevented by the introduction of a rubber or other suitable packing-ring or gasket 17. j

The partition-plate 14 has a central hole through which a threaded bolt 20 is passed, in the manner shown in the drawing, and this bolt is secured by a lock-nut 21. A second nut 22 is next screwed upon the bolt '20, after which a circular pressure plate 23 having a suitable central hole, is placed upon the bolt and is there retained by means of a third nut 24. The diameter of the plate 23 is suflicient to cause it to overlap or cover all of the holes 15, but it lacks considerable of reaching to the inner walls of the spherical member, 12. The space between the periphery of the circular plate 23 and the inner walls of the member 12 should at all times be equal to and preferably should exceed in area that of the discharge end 16 of the nozzle-tip. By an adjustment of the nuts 22 and 2 1 on the threaded bolt 20 the position of the plate 23 can be varied so as to correspondingly vary the opening between the periphery of plate 23 and the inner walls of the member 12. This adjustment is important for the reason that play-pipe nozzles are generally provided with an assortment of tips of varying capacity, and when the tip is changed on the nozzle, it is essential for the best results to correspondingly adjust the plate 23.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modified form in which the partition-plate 14 is provided with a valve-plate 80 which is rotarily ad justable around the bolt 20, and which has holes corresponding in size and distance from the center of the plate with the holes 15 of the partition-plate 14, whereby the holes of the two plates may be made to register, thereby presenting a maximum opening, or whereby the plate 30 may be moved to cover more or less of the holes 15 thereby reducing the size of the water passage. A given adjustment of the plate 30 will be held by a set screw 31 seated in a threaded hole in plate 14, and passing through a slot in the plate 30.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the sleeve 6 and the nozzle 7 are directly united in the usual way without the introduction of a hollow spherical member as shown in Fig. 1, and the partition-plate 14: of my pressure equalizer is introduced at the joint between said sleeve and nozzle. The plate 14 has a central opening 15 approximately equal in area to the discharge 16 at the nozzle-tip, and supported from the plate 14; by the legs 34 is a plate 23, the area of which plate should somewhat exceed the area of the opening of 15. IVhile this modified con struction is quite efiicient, it lacks the adjustment of the plate 23 with relation to the partition-plate l4, and it lacks the spherical Walls surrounding the plate 23' which have proven to be of practical advantage in deflecting the water and equalizing the pressure without reducing the waterthrowing efiiciency of the nozzle.

As will be understood, the relative sizes of the two plates in my pressure equalizer and of the holes in the partition-plate and the distance apart of the plates may be varied according to the particular requirements of pressure and slze of the nozzletips, and while the construction of my improved device is the best now known to me, it may be variously modified by those skilled in the art without departure from my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a hose-line, the combination with a play-pipe, of a transverse pressure-plate located within the play-pipe approximately at the beginning of convergence of the Walls of said play-pipe.

2. In a hose-line, the combination with a play-pipe, of a transverse pressure-plate located within the play-pipe approximately at the beginning of convergence of the walls of said play-pipe and a partition-plate at the rear of said pressure-plate having a water-passage or passages therethrough approximately equaling in area the area of the discharge opening of the pipe.

3. In a hose-line, the combination with a play-pipe, of a transverse pressure-plate located within the play'pipe approximately at the beginning of convergence of the walls of said play-pipe and a partition-plate at the rear of said pressure-plate having a waterpassage or passages therethrough approximately equaling in area the area of the discharge opening of the pipe, and means for varying the distance between the two plates.

at. In a hose-line, the combination with a play-pipe, of a transverse pressure-plate located within the play-pipe approximately at the beginning of convergence of the walls of said play-pipe, a partition-plate held between abutting wall members in a plane at the rear of said pressure-plate and having a watenpassage or passages therethrough the combined area of which approximately equal the area of the discharge opening of the pipe, and means for supporting the pressure plate from said partition-plate.

5. In a hose-line, the combination with a pla pipe, of a transverse pressure-plate located within the play-pipe approximately at the beginning of convergence of the walls of said play-pipe, a partition-plate held between abutting wall members in a plane atthe rear of said pressure-plate and having a water-passage or passages therethrough the combined area of which approximately equal the area of the discharge opening of the pipe, and means for adjusting the pressureplate from said partition-plate.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this fifteenth day of December, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and nine.

PETER F. GLAZIER. [L.S.]

Witnesses F. W. WVOERNER, L. B. WOERNER. 

